Method of producing tubular metallic bodies



July 22, 1941.

w. H. MILLSPAUGH .HETHQD ,OF PRODUCING TUBUGAR METALLIC BODIES Filed March 4,. 1959 I I I I I I I I I I I! INVENTOR ATTORNEYS metals from pjbottles' or in forming a tubular I II I cast hollow billetwhich has a closed end and is l a billet by. forcing a the mold. The

, :tained in and supported by according to the present invention; I

Patented July 22, 19

' METHOD OF PRODUCING TUBULAR I METALLIC BODIES William Hulse mus ng Catawba island, on,

Application March 4, 1939,.Serial'No. 259,8241

' In Great Britain January 26, 1939 rci i s. (clanss)?" This invention relates to a. method of produc-j ing hollow or tubular bodies of steel or other ends. I I In some methods such a bottle or hollow billet is formed by driving a mandrel or punch into a hollow billets with closed,

solidbillet supported in a die or mold, the=section of billet and die or mold'being such as to provide'space' in the mold to receivethe" metal displaced by the mandrel or punchwhereby there is formed a substantiallyicylindrical bottle or hollow'billet'whic'h is then removed from the die or mold and pushed by an inserted mandrel or arbor through dies or draw rings to increase the length and reduce the wall tubular portion.

thickness of the arod 20 which extendsfrorn a piston-'2] withi One feature of the present invention consists body from a centrifugally of increasing diameter-from its closed end. The exterior wall of the hollow billet may be of-lncreasing diameter, over its entire length or may be of increasing diameter'from its closed end for part only of its length, the remaining portion Such a cast tapering billet may being parallel. be formed by casting in atilting ing machine.

A further feature shaping the tapering centrifugal castmand'rel or arbor into "the billet while it is supportedin a' mold or pot of the desired length and form withjthertaperlng closed end of the billet bearing against theclosed end. of the mold, .the'tapering endportion of'the billet being thus forced into conformation with mold may 'be cylindrical with a hemispherical closed end, while the arbor may be slightly tapered to facilitate withdrawal and have itsend shaped to correspond with the moldv end. g A further feature consists in contracting'and elongating the wall of the remaining portion of the partly formed tubular body by cau'singmovement of the body and vthe inserted arbor relatively to an encircling die or drawing ring while closed end portion of such a rangement for holding andreleasing'themold. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated I in the drawing, a mold l of the desired sizeand shape, is held, as ,by'a Stop-,ofabutment 2, in

alinement with :a' drawing die or ring 3 on a stationarysupportt and a power operated mandrel The stop lisshown in Figs.1-4 supported on a cylinder 22, to the upperor lower ends of which a liquid under-pressure may be -admitted from a supply pipe- 23 through valve 24 and conduits 25 1 21 :is-- an outlet pipe with which conduits 1 -25..or 26 may ibe connected through-the. valve 24.

IB'isI-a valve actuatinglever. IO designates a piston with which the arbor is connected. 4| isa cylinder surroundingthe piston Q40. 1 Hydraulic pressure; may be, admitted to or withdrawn from the cylinder by means not 'shown. p '1 The tapered billet 5,;the closed endS ofwhich may, as shown in Fig.1, be thickened and shaped somewhat like the nose of a projectile, is placed in themoldafter being. cleaned and heat-- red, its closed end bearing against the closed end ofjthe mold audits larger end portion exf tending beyond thedrawing die or ring 3 with ,whichit preferably makes even contact. The

mandrel or arbor 4 is then advanced into-the ;-b1llet,1.(Fig. 1); first contacting with its interior practically at the position of-the drawing die or ,ring and thereafterexpanding the tapering end 5 'o f theibillet into conformation with the mold,

as shown in Fig. 2, any metal exceeding that fillmg the space in the mold being caused to flow through the space between the mandrel orarbor I and the drawing die-or ring 3, thus elongating the bil1et. The advance of the mandrel or arbor for; thispurpose having been'stopped or completed,-the stop or abutment 2. is withdrawn or released and.,advance of the mandrel or arbor continued, (Fig.; 3)' so that the mold I is either carried forward on the nose of thepartly formed the closed end portion ."ofthe body is still con themold, or the mold may be removed after theclosed end of the billet has been shaped.

Referring to the drawing, Q

Figs. 1, 2, 3 and d are vertical sections showing diagrammatically, in various stages, an arrangement of apparatus for forming tubular bodies l Fig.5 is a sectional elevation of a modified arbody, or removed, asshown at IA in Fig. 3. and the tapering portion of the .billet 5 is pushed through the drawing die or ring3, thus contracting and elongating the wall of said tapering portionso thatit conforms internally tothemandrel ;or arbor {and is parallel sided externally. After the body-has clearerdthe drawing die or ring- (Fig. 4), a stripping plate 6=is posltiondtostraddle the.mandrel or arbor between thedrawing die or its support I and the end of the body 5 .and the mandrel ,or arbor 4 then drawn back, thus stripping the body from it. I l

The cylinder 22 may be larger than cylinder 4| so that if piston 2| is actuated by the same pressure as that which actuates piston 40, piston 2| will be held against a stop 29 to position mold l, with a greater force than that which moves arbor 4.

The movement of arbor 4 may be used to re,

lieve the pressure under piston 2! when the arbor reaches the desired position relativeto mold I,

by somesuch arrangement as that shown dia'-' grammatically in Figs 1-4. 42 is an arm affixed to arbor 4.

' the billet bearing against the mold, the end por tion of the billet being thus forced into confor- A rod 43 extends through this arm and through valve actuating lever 28 and carries buttons 44 and 45 which are adjustably positioned.

on it. The movement of rod 43 will cause button 44 to engage lever 28 and move it from the position in which it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 tov the position 28A in which it is shown in Figs. 3.and 4. In Figs.- 1 and 2 the'pressure supply pipe 23 is shown connected through valve 24 and conduit, 26 with the part of cylinder 22 below pistonil and the other end of cylinder 22 connected through conduit 25 and valve 24':with outlet pipe 21; In Figs. 3 and 4 these connections are reversed to move-piston 2| and mold l away from the end of body 5. As arbor 4 continues to move after mold I is withdrawn, I the rod 43 is arranged to slide through arm 42, stops 46 and 41 being provided on the arm and a spring'48 interposed between the arm 42 and the stop" of sufficient strength to actuate the valve. The opposite'movement of rod 43 will cause its button 45 to engagelever '28 and reverse the valve to return mold l to'its operative relation to arbor 4. 1

mationvwith the mold, and excess metal being extruded longitudinally between the mold, drawing ring and arbor.

3. The methodiof producing a tubular body of metal which consists in expanding and shaping the end portion of a centrifugally cast billet having a tapering closed end, with its end having less area than the interior of the moldinto which it is; to be forged, by forcingafmandrel or arbor into the billet while saidbillet is supported in a closed end mold of the desired length'and form beyond and in alinement with a drawing ring, with the end of the billet bearing against the end of the mold, the end portionof the billet being A simple arrangement for holding stop 2 and l mold I so that metal forcedinto the cavity will form an end projection or boss on'the body.

The exterior wall of the hollow billet beginning near the drawing ring may be parallel without departing from thespirit of the invention, the

inner wall'remaining tapered.

This invention enables weldless hollow or tubular bodies to be formed without great power.

A centrifugally cast billet saves metal as no crop is required with such billet and also-the I time, equipment and expense of preliminary piercing is avoided; also, such a casting comprising the initial hollow billet maybe made sound and with thinner walls than can be made by punching a cavity from a solid billet.

What I claim is: l

1. The-method of producing a tubular body of metal which consists'in expanding and shaping the end portion of a hollow billet having a tapering closed end by forcing a mandrel or arbor into the billet While said billet is supported in'a closed end mold of the desired length and form'in alinement with a drawing ring, with the tapering closed end of the billet bearing against the closed end of the mold, the tapering end portion of the billet being thus forced into conformation with the mold, and excess metal being extruded 10ngitudinally between the mold, drawing ring and arbor.

thus forced into conformation with the moldand further movement of the mandrel or arbor causing any excess metal in the billet'end to move through .and beyond the drawing ring, uncon fined byvwalls beyond the drawing ring.

4. The method of producing a tubular body 'of metal which consists 'in expanding and shaping the end portion of acent'rifugally cast billet having a tapering closed end, with its end having less areaethan the interior of the mold into which it is to. be forged, by forcing" a mandrel or arbor intothe billet while said billet issupported in a closed end mold of the desired length and form beyond and in alinement witha drawing ring, with the end of the billet bearing against the mold, the end portion of the billet being'thus forced into conformation with the mold, and excess metal being extruded longitudinally between the mold, drawing,ri'ng andarbor and further movement of the mandrel or arbor causing any excess metal in the billet end to move through and beyond the drawing ring, unconfined'by walls beyond the drawing ring. i

5. The method of producing a tubularbody of metal which consists in centrifugally casting a hollow billet having a tapering closed end, expanding and shapingthe end portion of said billet by forcing a mandrel or arbor into the billet while said billet is supported in a concave mold of the desired length and form inalinement with and beyond a drawing ring, with the end'oi' the billet bearing againstthe mold; the end portion of the billet being thus forced into conformation with the mold, and excess metal being extruded longitudinally betweenthe mold, drawing ring and arbor and further movement of the mandrel or arbor causing the billet to move through and beyond the drawing ring.

6. The method of producing a tubular body of metal which consists of-expanding and shaping the end portion of a billet having a tapering closed end and a hollow portion by forcing a mandrel or arbor between the hollowportion of the billet and a drawing ring against the closed end of the billet while said end of the billet is ingagainst the mold, the end portionof the billet being thus forced into conformation withthe 2. The method of producing a tubular body of 75 mold.

7. The method of producing a tubular body of metal which consists of expanding and shaping the end portion of abillet havinga tapering closed end and a hollow portion by forcing a mandrel or arbor between the hollow portion of the billet and a stationary drawing ringagainst the closed" end of the billet while said end of the billet-is supported in a closed end mold of deshied length and form with the closed end-ofthe billet bearing against the mold. the end portion of the billet being thus forced into conformation with the mold and thereafter moving the mandrel and mold with the interposed formed end portion of the billet'relative to the drawing ring to force 5 the hollow portion of the billet against the mandrel.

' WILLIAM HULSE MILLSPAUGH. 

